


Monsters of Ice

by collegefangirl3791



Category: Frozen (2013), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: And angst, Angst, BAMF Anna, Crossover, Elsa isn't quite comfortable with herself still yet, Gen, Jötunn Loki, Loki Redemption, Loki discovers his true parentage, Lots of intervals of fluff and humor, Pre-Thor (2011), and realllly needs help, and shortly post-Frozen, there's a lot of insecurity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collegefangirl3791/pseuds/collegefangirl3791
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki and Thor and the Warriors Three take a vacation to Asgard. Loki gets separated from the others, only to discover an ice palace, the kingdom of Arendelle, and the sisters who rule it. When Elsa accidentally reveals his true frost giant form, he is understandably horrified and angry, and thus begins his journey to self-acceptance.</p><p>(Also entitled Apparently I'm Writing A Weird Motivational Documentary Cuz That Summary Sucked)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Visitor

It was not Loki's idea to go to Midgard and explore, it was Thor's. Definitely Thor's plan. Loki just… helped him figure out some of the details.

Most of the details.

The oaf and the Warriors Three thought it would be a good idea, Sif went along just to keep them out of trouble, and Loki went along to cause trouble (and enable them to actually get there). It wasn't that Loki liked doing stupid things, he just wanted to spend time with Thor. The Thunderer was always with his friends or Odin, learning how to be king, and Loki missed his brother. Not that he'd ever admit it.

After he used an illusion to convince Heimdall that their Geography tutor was taking them to Midgard for a special outing, they were sent by Bifrost to the other realm. It turned out to be snowy and cold, although rather beautiful. There were no mortals in sight, and Loki wondered briefly if that wasn't a good thing.

After a while of putting up with Thor and his friends' stupidity, Loki gave up on trying to participate in the conversation and decided to wander off to look at some strange trees he'd noticed a while back. They were willow trees with ice frozen in sparkling beads over their branches and he'd been instantly fascinated.

Loki had spent some time wandering amongst and marveling at the trees when he realized he was lost. Sending out a rippling wave of magic, he couldn't sense Thor, which was strange. Knowing Thor, who was incapable of being discreet, Loki wasn't too worried about finding him again eventually. He wouldn't look just yet.

Suddenly a pleasant voice called out, as if from the trees themselves, "Hello!"

Loki blinked, startled. "Hello...? Who's there?"

"I'm down here."

The prince looked down and almost gaped openly. There was a short, tubby white figure (was it made of snow?) staring up at him with a cheerful smile on its face. It had a bright orange carrot for a nose and sticks for arms. Odd.

"What are you?" he asked, bending down so he was at eye level with the little snow creature.

"I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs," it said pleasantly.

Loki thought he'd better introduce himself too. "I am Loki, son of Odin, second Prince of Asgard. And I'm lost." That was true enough, anyway.

"Lost?" Olaf asked, blinking.

"Yes, lost. Can you help me find someplace to rest?" Chances were he wouldn't find Thor till tomorrow, as the sun was setting and his magic just wasn't turning up any signs of his brother.

"Oh sure! Right this way!" The little snow creature started waddling away, and Loki followed, chuckling.

* * *

"See, it's a bit like slow walking. Push off with one foot, let yourself slide a bit, then push with the other foot," Elsa instructed, concentrating on helping Anna stand up straight. She was trying to teach her sister how to skate, in her ice palace, but so far it wasn't going too well.

Anna laughed at her expression. "You look like Kristoff when he's pouting."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "I see why you can't focus."

Anna's laugh was accompanied by a rosy blush and a shake of the head. "Oh, be quiet. Seriously though, shouldn't you be queening right now? I know enough to practice."

"Is that's why you land on your bottom so often?"

"Wow, you're so regal."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Thank you."

Anna sighed. "But you're avoiding my question. You're queen now; you don't have time to be doing things like this with me."

The queen's eyes grew sad and she shook her head. "I always have time for you, Anna."

Anna bit her lip and tried to skate faster. "Elsa, it's okay, I still get to be with you. But you've looked really tired lately, and I think I know why." She crossed arms to say more, but then Olaf pushed the doors open and waddled in, saying something that they couldn't quite hear. Anna turned to face Olaf to say something, but her eyes widened as a strange man walked in, his eyes wandering around the castle for a bit, his eyes flashing with wonder and amazement. But then those piercing eyes come to settle on Anna, then herself, and he smirked.

"Excuse me. I didn't expect... I'm sorry to intrude." The stranger had a smooth, silky voice with a strange accent. He bowed. "Olaf brought me here because I was lost and needed shelter. I do hope that's not any inconvenience to you."

Olaf piped up, grinning happily. "Elsa, Anna, this is Loki!"

Anna frowned, puzzled. "Loki? What kind of name- um, welcome! My name is-"

Elsa interrupted, face becoming guarded and calculating. "This is Anna, I am Elsa." She didn't bother to pretend she was pleased to meet him. "But you do know this, of course." She looks at Olaf, who shrugs. "Why did you invite a stranger to the queen's private castle, exactly?" she asked him. The snowman shrugged again.

"Sorry, Elsa."

The queen sighed and glanced at Loki. "As welcome as guests are, I'm curious how he managed to convince you to bring him."

Loki answered for Olaf with another bow. He was still smirking. "I was, as I told you, lost. I had not expected it to be so cold here on Midgard. You must all be as hardy as Jotuns to survive here. I am Loki Odinson, prince of Asgard."

Elsa blinked, then shook her head. "You must be quite lost indeed. This is Arendelle of Norway, and I have heard of no neighboring cities called Midgard. If you are truly a prince of Asgard, why are you by yourself?"

Loki laughed. "How many times must I tell you that I am lost? I was separated from my companions. This whole realm you live in, this world, we on Asgard call it Midgard. I believe you call it Earth." He grew sarcastic, then, apparently irritated with her. "I really am sorry for being foolish enough to get lost, but you will have to excuse me. I'm not from around here." He shivered, and with a quiet curse he waved his hand. Green light with hints of gold rippled over him, and he was suddenly wearing a warm fur coat.

Elsa's eyes immediately widened, but before she could say anything, Anna blurted, "Whoa! You have ice powers too?! You and Elsa must be twins or something!"

Without meaning to, Anna appeared to have offended their visitor. "Excuse me?" he said archly. "This is magic, Lady Anna, but not ice magic. Only Frost Giants have ice magic, and I am certainly not a Frost Giant."

Marshmallow walked in just then, and Elsa was fairly relieved to see him. Anna, meanwhile, tried hastily to make up for what she said. "I was not suggesting you were a, um… frosty giant."

Elsa's eyes narrowed in thought. Perhaps she remembered… "Did you say you were from Asgard? And something about Frost Giants?"

Loki didn't immediately answer, preoccupied with staring at Marshmallow in surprise. "How in Helheim…?" he muttered, then his attention snapped back to the sisters and he answered Elsa's question. "Yes, Asgard. And the Frost Giants of Jotunheim."

"Well, Loki, you may rest here for the night... though I wonder if you will find it comfortable. Marshmallow shall escort you and... attend to any needs you may have," Elsa finally decided. What harm could it do? The odd stranger seemed harmless enough.

* * *

Loki bowed again. "Thank you, Lady Elsa." He started to walk after the snow giant, but seeing the women starting to leave, talking quietly and worriedly, he made an illusion of himself that followed Marshmallow to his temporary room, while he himself became invisible and trailed Elsa and Anna as they left the ice palace, got into a sleigh, and took off down the mountain.

He had a struggle to follow them undetected on the snowy slopes, but soon enough they emerged onto frosty plains and then down into a small walled city that jutted out on a peninsula into an expansive harbor. They made their way into the castle (which was not nearly as fine as the palace of ice or Loki's own home) and into its library.

Loki eyed the large room with a critical eye; Asgard's library was much bigger, but then they had to house literary works from all nine realms.

Anna was talking quickly to Elsa, seeming shocked. "It's from the old myths! And he just, like, magically made a coat!"

Elsa nodded patiently. "Yes." She started rummaging through the books.

"Asgard was the most powerful empire in mythology or something, right? And they fought the frost giants and won… No wonder he got so grumpy about me thinking he had ice powers."

Loki smiled. Both women seemed rather clever, although perhaps not in the same way.

Elsa looked down. "I suppose ice powers are feared in other places... not just here." She moved some old dusty books and let out a little sneeze.

"Bless you," Anna said distractedly. "I suppose the people in Asgard are as stupid as some of the people on Earth then."

Elsa glanced gratefully at the other woman, but shook her head. "No, Frost Giants really were very bad. I used to read about them. They supposedly even invaded earth, but I thought the whole thing was just... myths."

Anna shrugged. "My tutor Sir Selvig, he taught me all the myths. He said they were real. I believed him." Loki smiled a little. "But eventually... Mother and Father asked him to leave too."

"Yes... I'm sorry I wasn't there," the blonde sighed. Loki took careful note of the uncomfortable way she ran her hands over the spines of the books. "Aha!" She pulled a book off the shelves and waved it triumphantly in the air. "This is a collection of all those old myths. I think there's something that prince isn't telling us."

Loki sniffed disdainfully. Was it so hard for people to believe he was being honest? He'd only just met these two and they already suspected him of lying. Typical.

"Loki," Anna said thoughtfully. "That's who he said he was." Elsa glanced at her, then started flipping through the pages and pointed to a picture. Anna read the words on the page out loud. "'Loki: The God of Mischief.'" Wow. That was some phase he went through. Loving the shirt. And the stubble."

The second prince of Asgard walked silently closer to have a closer look at the picture of himself which they'd found. It was an odd drawing: a short, ugly man with a jester's cap, a scruffy beard, and a garishly patterned shirt. He winced. Valhalla forbid he ever look like that.

Slowly, Elsa said, "It says he was either a frost giant, a god, or both. And... It looks like all kinds of awful things happened to him and because of him."

Anna frowned. "If that was him though, he seemed nice…"

"If they truly came to Earth centuries ago, mankind probably told the story and then kept... making up stuff. We don't know what is true and what's not.

"That sounds like something men would do," Anna muttered.

"I just wish we know how much of this was true. Loki could be a very dangerous guest, or not dangerous at all."

Loki decided he shouldn't let the conversation continue on its current trajectory; he needed shelter and wasn't anxious to lose it over a dusty old tome full of lies. "I could tell you which of those is true, if you'd like," he said conversationally, allowing himself to become visible. The sisters' heads darted up, and Anna, in a moment of reflexive panic, flipped the table over onto his foot. "Really?" he sighed, shoving the table off his toes. "Calm down."

Anna was not happy with him. "Then don't creep people out! Ever heard of knocking?!"

Elsa lowered her hands, which she'd raised towards him palm first, but they clenched, and she stepped slightly in front of Anna. "How did you get past Marshmallow?" she demanded.

Loki had no idea who or what Marshmallow was, but this conversation wasn't working in his favor. He rolled his eyes. "Please. I didn't have to get past anyone. I'm a god, as you seem to have figured out already. I have a few tricks up my sleeves."

The queen stood straighter, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you here? I don't care if you're lost or not; why have you come to Earth?"

Anna stepped in front of Elsa, getting in Loki's face. He raised an eyebrow at her. "World domination? Revenge? A vacation? How-" Elsa placed a warning hand on Anna's arm.

"Actually yes, Lady Anna, just for a bit of a vacation, although it is far too cold here for my liking." Loki smiled at the women, practically daring them to challenge him.

"Anna, could you go make sure Olaf's okay real quick?"

"I'm sure he's fine," the redhead answered immediately.

"He's never come back home himself." The queen didn't break eye contact with Loki. He couldn't help but admire her; she was clearly a formidable ruler for a mortal and a woman.

"I'm not a kid, you can't get rid of me that easily!" Anna complained.

Elsa turned to Anna with a sigh. "Anna, I can and will handle this myself, and I need you to ensure Olaf's safety yourself."

Loki raised his eyebrows at Anna, amused. Anna glared at them both. "Fine. Whatever. Be careful, Elsa."

"I've had discussions with royalty before, Anna," Elsa said firmly. "This royalty doesn't seem much different from myself."

"Don't degrade yourself by comparing yourself to him." The girl turned and left the room in a whirl of skirts.

Loki snorted, running a hand through his hair. "She's a rather unpleasant young lady. Who is she? Your friend?"

A cold wind ruffled his hair as Elsa shot him a chilly glare. "My sister. Try to not mistake her bravery for unpleasantness. You'll find even gods would suffer for that." She raised her chin. "So again, what is your reason for your visit? You don't exactly seem to be a man- god – in need of a vacation."

Loki answered poiltely, trying to convince her of his sincerity. "I meant no disrespect to your sister. As for why I am here, it's as I told you. I wanted a vacation. I came with my brother and his friends to get away from responsibility for a while, that's all."

"Your brother... Thor. Yes. Did he come too? Any others?"

He smiled bitterly. "Yes he did. Why does it matter? It's just Thor. Well, and several of his thick-skulled friends."

Elsa's eyes glinted brightly with a slight haughtiness and coolness befitting a queen. "If I recall, your kind hasn't come to Earth for several centuries. Surely there remains no dire need to stay now and associate with us... lesser beings." Her eyes narrowed, daring him to make a mistake.

Loki chuckled, attempting to project an air of casual courtesy. "My kind. We can do what we like, Lady Elsa; the realms are ours to travel between. Really, what would it take to convince you I mean no harm?" He stepped a bit closer, spreading his hands out innocently as he spoke.

To his surprise, Elsa stepped back, betraying for the first time a hint of fear. He shivered; the room seemed to have become some ten degrees colder. He wasn't sure, but it seemed possible that the queen might be affecting the temperature. Magic of some sort?

She was speaking again; he tried to focus. "To convince me? You might try leaving. I see no reason for you to stay."

The temperature was dropping steadily now, and Loki began to be nervous himself. He conjured a dagger in his clasped hands, behind his back. He made a concerted effort to keep his voice deferent. "I don't know where my brother is, your Majesty, and I have no way to get back to Asgard. I need shelter, which you have offered me. It's very uncharitable of you to withdraw that offer now."

"If you can do what you like, as you said, then you should have no need to depend upon... charity." She laughed a little. "I don't see why you couldn't just conjure a shelter out of thin air. But, I always keep my promises. You may stay in my castle. I will be staying there tonight as well. You may wait for your brother there."

Loki, relived, sketched a neat bow. "Of course. Thank you." He smirked. "Although I suspect if I waited for _Thor_ to find _me_ , I'd be there for a few centuries."


	2. Getting To Know You

Before Elsa could come up with a good response, Olaf's twiggy fingers appeared around the library door, his nose following shortly after them. "Elsa, Anna told me to tell you that you have a minute to finish talking. And…" He paused, and appeared to be counting under his breath. "…you have forty-two seconds left!"

Elsa sighed. "Olaf, please stop doing that."

Anna pushed the door the rest of the way open, sighing, and came into the library. She shrugged apologetically and explained, "Sorry. I couldn't stop him."

As Elsa raised a disbelieving eyebrow, Olaf protested, "You couldn't stop me? But you told me to come in here. Oh, hi Loki!"

Loki chuckled, his sharp features for a moment softening into something friendly and even handsome. "Hello, Olaf." Elsa found herself wanting to like him, even though there was something very false about his manners.

Anna stepped away from the door, and Kristoff shuffled in after her. Elsa was beginning to wonder if the whole palace had come to check on her. "Um, hello Kristoff."

Olaf, as usual, didn't think before he spoke. "Kristoff! This is the new guy that doesn't look like a donkey!"

Loki raised one eyebrow, and whatever Elsa thought she'd seen in his face was gone. "A donkey? I don't follow. Who is this?"

"I'm Kristoff, Anna's... I mean, I'm Kristoff. Arendelle's Official Ice-Master and Deliverer."

Loki's eyebrow, if it were possible, shot higher up his forehead. "Good heavens. What is it with you people and ice?"

"You're right, he is weird. And has poor taste," Kristoff said with a nod of his shaggy head.

Elsa resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands, and still had to look down at the floor in embarrassment. Insulting a guest (maybe not a trustworthy one, but a guest nonetheless) was not a good way to start things off. She admired Kristoff's directness, but she realized that it might, after all, be a problem.

Anna elbowed him with a light scowl. "You were supposed to help," she huffed. Loki's grin of amusement widened, and Kristoff looked at Anna apologetically, scratched his head, and crossed his arms.

Elsa sighed. "We were just leaving." She glanced at Loki. "He's going to be staying at my ice palace. I think he can handle wind travel." She'd recently discovered that she could control the wind well enough to carry herself and another person a ways. It was a rough but effective mode of travel.

Loki frowned, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Wind travel? I would rather not do that, if you don't mind. Thor has transported me that way a few times and it really isn't pleasant. I could take us there within seconds."

Elsa hid her interest and surprise – the ability to travel from place to place in seconds sounded amazing, and she was able to do something that the God of Thunder could do – and dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Wind travel is quick as well, and it might be easier on you. Besides, if you wanted to visit Earth, you may as well–" But before she could finish speaking, the castle library disappeared. Vaguely she heard Anna shouting her name.

She prepared herself for a fight as the walls of her ice palace materialized around her. Loki's hand left her shoulder. He was laughing, the skin around his eyes crinkled up with amusement. She clenched her fists to stop herself from attacking him prematurely.

"Sorry, Lady Elsa" – he chuckled – "but I _really_ hate wind travel."

Elsa sucked in a deep breath and glared at him, trying to determine just how to reprimand him, but Marshmallow stomped in before she could speak. Upon seeing Loki he stopped, glanced back the way he'd come, and frowned in a confused sort of way. "Sorry big guy," Elsa sighed. "The man you were keeping an eye on was a mirage."

Marshmallow frowned at Elsa, then looked back again as Loki – only he was standing next to her – poked his head through the doorway that led to a dining room of sorts. He waved at them, holding a deck of cards, before vanishing in a puff of green light. "Um… have you two been having fun?" Elsa said awkwardly.

Loki laughed, and she decided she hated the sound of his laugh. It was too self-assured and pretentious. "Yes, they've been having quite an amusing time. Now, am I wrong in guessing, Queen Elsa, that you are a talented mage yourself?"

"Not exactly," she said shortly. Before he could ask any more questions, she led him to a circular room with a bed (not made of ice), and quickly dissolved an ice sculpture she had created for Anna, since this was usually her room when they spent time here on the mountain. "But I've learned how to control the magic I have." She glanced at Loki, then added an extra layer of ice to a few of the furnishings to make them stronger. "I can use it to do any number of things," she said. "Almost anything I need." She let her voice drop slightly lower, hinting at a threat.

Loki appeared unfazed. "Interesting..." He ran his hand carefully over the walls, expression wondering. "This is very impressive. I can conjure some things with my magic, but not quite like this." He held out a hand, as if to demonstrate, and an ornate dagger formed in his palm. Elsa barely listened to what he said next, too alarmed at the sudden threat to care what else he might have to say. She flung a burst of magic at his hand, knocking the dagger to the floor as ice formed around it. Loki's hand went blue for a moment, as if with frostbite.

Loki stopped whatever he was saying and stared at his hand worriedly as it recovered its usual pale hue. "What did you do to me?" he hissed, suddenly hostile. He reached into his coat and drew out another dagger, similar to the first. Elsa felt an icy chill work its way down her spine; she was afraid.

She kept this to herself, however, putting on a show of confidence and disdain. Turning half away from him while sweeping her cape out behind her, she said, "It is not usually considered wise to make such a show of force to one's host. I was taken by surprise and therefore considered your action a threat; I acted accordingly. You will please refrain from such displays in the future."

Loki sneered, harsh and ugly, but with a sharp flick of the wrist he caused both his daggers to disappear. "Fine, your majesty. I'd still like to know what exactly you did to me."

Elsa rubs her hands together slightly, uncomfortable that she just used her power against someone. If she'd only hit his dagger that would be one thing, but apparently she'd also hit his hand. "I still don't completely understand how this power works." She hesitated. How much would it be wise to tell this foreign prince? "My mother told me it was a gift from the gods. My father told me it was a curse because of something he had done. I believed neither explanation." Elsa narrowed her eyes, straightening. "You ought to be able to figure out why I disarmed you. As for what happened to your hand, I don't know what that was."

"Oh, well, now," he quipped. "I don't have the slightest idea why you would feel the need to disarm me." Then he grew serious again, and with a glance at his fingers, added, "You must have done something to me that made that happen. I do hope you won't try that again."

Elsa smiled. "I'm sure I won't need to." She prepared to leave the room. With any luck she'd be able to sleep without being disturbed. "This room is yours for now. You may spend the night here, and longer if you are courteous. Maybe Marshmallow will make you pancakes tomorrow."

Marshmallow seemed to like that idea.

"He's not dangerous unless he or someone I care about is threatened, so you shouldn't have to worry about him."

She left then, head high. She heard Marshmallow's heavy, snowy form sitting down with a thud, and couldn't help but smile. That ought to keep Loki busy for a while, anyway.

For now, unfortunately, she too was stuck here, at least for the rest of the night. She didn't even have any papers to sign and read for the kingdom, no queenly duties to distract her from her worries about the tall stranger (a god, no less) in the other room. She slumped against the wall and looked around with something like discomfort at her palace. With Anna it wasn't so bad, but alone, bittersweet memories oozed out of the walls that seemed to have a light of their own. Those confusing hours where she'd battled the guilt of running away and tried to recapture the feeling of freedom when she'd first rushed out of Arendelle. Her powers piercing her sister's heart when she tried to turn her away, the men attacking her with their bows, Hans' ingratiating lies, being locked away in her own dungeon.

Just as she was sure her thoughts would overwhelm her, Elsa heard a heavy pounding on the palace doors. She got up and hurried to them, peering through a peep hole Kristoff had urged her to install (sometimes he worried too much). Kristoff and Anna's magnified faces peered anxiously back at her, so she opened the door to a flurry of reindeer kisses and concerned questions.

"Um, guys…" she began.

"Oh my gosh, you're okay! Wait, did he do anything to you?" Anna grabbed Elsa's arms frantically, turning her around and lifting the limbs up to look for any hurt or injury.

"I don't think he'd have attacked her armpits, Anna," Kristoff said dryly, smiling. Anna sheepishly let go of Elsa's arms, her own limbs wrapping around her torso to keep from fidgeting.

Elsa sighed. "I'm fine. Marshmallow's helping out."

"Elsa. He's a god," Anna said seriously. "Marshmallow probably couldn't stop him if he wanted to leave."

Kristoff looked at Sven, then spoke in what Elsa called (with some annoyance) his 'reindeer voice'. "He seemed pretty crazy. And dangerous." In his own voice, Kristoff added, "What Sven said. So, we're gonna stay here with you and make sure you're okay."

Elsa met both their gazes; Anna was determined, Kristoff more so. She loved them both, but she still couldn't believe their stubbornness at times – how could she convince them to go home? Finally she sighed and said quietly, "Kristoff, do you really think you can protect Anna from a god? Like you and Sven said, he's dangerous. If I can't handle him you certainly can't."

Anna started, indignantly, to say "I do _not_ need-" but Kristoff cut her off, his jaw jutting out stubbornly.

"He might be a god, but he's a skinny one."

Elsa couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. But she quickly grew serious again, determined to convince them to do what she said (for once). "You two should go somewhere safe. Don't tell me where."

Anna's face fell, and she asked softly, "You're shutting me out?"

Elsa winced, glared at her, but then softened. She closed her eyes for a moment to think. "Fine. I suppose I can't stop you."

Kristoff and Anna both said "Nope," at the same time, then glanced at each other. After a pause, Kristoff asked, "Where is he now, anyway?"

Embarrassed, Elsa realized she didn't really know. She coughed. "Ummm... last I checked he was in Anna's room…"

Anna sighed. "You aren't very good at babysitting."

Elsa hurried to Anna's room, only to find the door still propped open by Marshmallow's considerable bulk, which should have kept Loki in the room anyway, except one look past the snow giant's arm and they knew he was gone. That didn't necessarily have to bad, but Elsa still felt her stomach drop with worry.

They woke up Marshmallow to help them look for the prince, Elsa walking towards the staircase to the chandelier room and balcony, Kristoff and Anna towards the other downstairs rooms, and Sven in no particular direction, sniffing like a tracking dog.

Loki opened the double doors of the massive, high-ceilinged atrium, discovering that they led to a balcony. He walked out into the waning sunlight, taking a deep breath of fresh, chilly air. After a moment, he sighed, straightened his coat, and strode back inside, planning to go look at some of the other rooms. Instead, he stopped short at the sight of Elsa. She looked nervous, staring around the room with a distant look, as if she was thinking about something or someplace else. She apparently noticed him, because she spoke, but she couldn't seem to meet his gaze. "Sorry to intrude. I'm just making sure you aren't… well…"

Loki snorted. "Taking over your kingdom? I was simply tired of listening to the snow creature snore and trying to entertain myself with paltry magic tricks, so I left to look around."

"Perhaps I should have brought in a folk band to help you fall asleep," she said sarcastically. Loki almost laughed; he hadn't thought she'd had it in her to be anything but cold and serious. A moment later she blushed and looked down, as if embarrassed that the comment had slipped out.

Loki raised an eyebrow, smirking, teasing. "Perhaps I ought to have stayed in my room, Lady Elsa?"

Elsa shook her head, frustrated. "No. Feel free to explore, though I'm sure this castle is nothing compared to Asgard's." She turned to walk away, and there was an unexpected nervous eagerness to her steps, as if she couldn't wait to get away from him.

He didn't want that, as much as she irritated him, so he stepped after her, frowning. "I'm sorry I worried you," he said stiffly. "I didn't think it would be a problem if I stayed in the palace."

Elsa never got a chance to answer him – her sister and the ice-master (Kristoff?) walked into the massive room together.

Anna had clearly been more suspicious about his activities than Elsa, and was quick to show it. "Phew! Thank goodness." Turning to Kristoff, she added, "Let's stay here tonight."

Elsa looked skeptical; Loki hoped she'd forbid them. He didn't want all of them here – their evident hostility was unnerving. "Um, are you sure?" the queen asked. "Have you ever... slept somewhere this cold before? In all the ice, I mean? It's a weird experience.

The princess shrugged nonchalantly, voice flippant as she answered, "I've been ice before, I'm sure I'll be fine." The air suddenly seemed chill as she blushed and looked down. Loki frowned, watching Elsa flinch and then go still. "I mean, I'll be comfortable. I've got my cape. And Kristoff's used to sleeping in the cold, right Kristoff?" The blond man nodded quickly.

"Am I the only one who's curious about the statement 'I've been ice before'? Because I personally would be interested to know how that happened," Loki said lightly, trying to get a feel for what this topic of conversation was like for the three. Kristoff shot him a glare while everyone else looked away, tense. Clearly the topic of Anna's… ice experience was a sensitive one, and one which Kristoff and Anna both felt defensive about. Elsa was harder for him to get a read on.

"That's none of your business," Anna snapped.

Loki glanced at Elsa, hoping for something from her, but she just said, "We should head to bed." She made no move to go, and for a moment neither did Anna, until Kristoff lightly touched her elbow and started to leave. The princess sighed and followed him.

"Queen Elsa," Loki said quietly. Unfortunately Kristoff and Anna heard him anyway and stopped walking. "Your sister's time as... ice... that wouldn't have anything to do with what you did to my hand earlier, would it?"

Elsa looked at his hand with a sigh. "I don't know. When I've used pure... cold like that before, people have been hit in the head or heart, not the hands. Hitting their heart causes them to slowly freeze into ice. Hitting their head... I think they'll freeze then too, but it's easier to fix." She glanced up. "Is it still blue?"

 _Hitting their heart makes them freeze into ice… she's been ice before…_ Loki thought he understood what had happened to Anna. But he put that thought aside for later consideration to answer her question, with some relief: "No, no it's not."

Elsa nodded. "Good. Um… the frost giants… would they, you know, do they still exist? After the supposed battle on earth?"

"They do, yes." A fact which Thor very obviously regretted. "There aren't many left, and they are very weak. But there is still a king and queen in Jotunheim, and a war with them would still be deadly. They have abilities rather like your own, I believe, Queen Elsa."

The queen looked thoughtful, and Loki wish he hadn't drawn the comparison. The last thing he wanted was for Elsa to begin to associate herself with those monsters. "Like mine?" She paused, biting her lip. "What do they look like?"

Loki shrugged. "I've never seen one, but our histories and art depict them as being dark blue with raised lines on their skin and red eyes. They're monsters."

Elsa flinched and nodded a bit, as if to herself. "Monsters... yes." She took a slow breath, probably trying to hide the way it shook. "I will leave you to explore. I will be around all night." She turned and walked away, and he took note of the way she flexed the fingers of her hand as she went.

He frowned, but after a moment followed her out of the room and continued exploring until he was thoroughly familiar with the castle and nearly falling asleep on his feet. Only then did he return to his assigned room and drift into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Took a while, like I said, but here's chapter 2. ;) The other chapters are still being edited into proper story form, so this will probably still be slow.
> 
> Apologies for any mistakes; this isn't beta-ed and the verb tense has to be switched from present to past as I go, so any tense discrepancies are due to my missing a word or something. Also, the writing style may occasionally seem like it changes as it goes; this is because 2-3 people were working on it together and although I've tried to fix that, you will probably occasionally be able to tell when someone's writing breaks off and another's begins. Sorry about that. :)
> 
> Please review! You guys are great!


	3. Pride and Prejudice and Frost Giants

The glittering stars made way for a misty, glowing sunrise over the mountains, and light seeped through the ice palace walls, causing them to shine with more than their usual brilliance. The smell of perfect chocolate-chip-marshmallow pancakes drifted through the rooms, mixing nicely with the fresh air coming from the open balcony.

Elsa woke up slouched uncomfortably against one of the icy walls. Somehow she'd fallen asleep, despite her anxiety, but she felt even worse than she had the night before. Her shoulders and neck ached and she felt cold, which was unusual.

Olaf was staring at her and had probably woken her up. "Good morning Elsa!" He hugged her, accidentally poking her in the neck with his carrot nose. "Marshmallow made pancakes. Everyone else is already eating."

Elsa jumped up, ignoring the protests of her cramped muscles. She'd completely forgotten what she was doing here. "Loki stayed? He didn't escape?"

Olaf shrugged his twiggy arms. "Yes he did. He was hungry. And he's still lost."

Elsa scratched her head, unaware that her braid was a large, lumpy mess now. She remembered her status, however, and stopped scratching. "Thor hasn't come? He's quite slow for a god."

Olaf shrugged again, and she followed him out of the hallway she'd fallen asleep in and downstairs to the icy dining room.

Loki stood as walked in and bowed, his movements and smile somewhat too polite. "Why, good morning, your majesty."

Elsa frowned, and noticed Anna frantically pointing at her own hair. With a sudden sinking feeling, Elsa stopped at the door and turned to look her own reflection in the ice, then blushed desperately. Pretending not to care, she continued into the room and sat down. "Good morning, Loki."

Marshmallow brought in another plate of pancakes, proudly wearing a big chef's hat several castle maids had sewn for him. As Elsa took a pancake off the serving dish, Loki said, "I hope you slept well. It certainly appears that you did."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, then looked down and tried to subtly pat her hair into some semblance of order before giving up and digging into her pancakes.

Loki, of course, appeared to notice what she was doing, but other than smiling slightly, he made no comment.

"So, when is 'Prince' Loki leaving exactly?" Kristoff grumbled.

"Whenever I please, Ice-Master," Loki said. Elsa bristled, furious that he answered for her and so presumptuously. He didn't react to her tight-lipped frown, busy finishing his breakfast.

Kristoff wiped the crumbs off his plate with his hand while glaring at Loki, and Anna wrinkled her nose at him. Elsa took a deep breath and asked, "You will be leaving with your brother, though, correct?"

"Probably." Loki waved a hand, cleaning his own plate of crumbs, and stood. "Why so anxious to get rid of me?"

"I was merely curious about when we would no longer have the pleasure of your company." She started to eat, allowing herself a cool smile. She heard Kristoff give an appreciative, amused snort and nearly laughed herself.

Loki's voice was flat and cold. "Queen Elsa, there are many things you are good at. Lying is not one of them… particularly not to the God of Lies. It's obvious that you despise me." There was a long, tense pause, and Elsa didn't look up from her food, suddenly embarrassed. "On Asgard, everyone hated me – although, of course, they didn't like to show it. I'm good at noticing when I'm not wanted, however. You can be sure I'll leave as soon as I'm able."

"Don't take any rudeness we've displayed personally," Elsa managed, tone more biting than she'd intended. "It's the lack of information about your trip we hate, not you yourself." Now she did look up, and was surprised to see a flush of humiliation (or perhaps anger) on his pale cheeks.

"I've already told you everything about my 'trip', your majesty," he snapped. "I have no obligation to try to make you feel more comfortable by lying."

"You're the God of Lies, shouldn't that be your forte?" she retorted, finishing the last of her pancakes and standing to take her dishes to the counter.

Loki smiled, and she couldn't help but be a bit afraid of that smile and the threatening way his eyes brightened. "Just because I can lie quite adeptly, Elsa, doesn't mean I do it all the time or even enjoy it. I can kill quite easily as well, but you won't see me killing often or happily."

Elsa felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her chest, and she set her plate down with a heavy clatter. His expression taunted her – he expected her to be frightened – but she suddenly felt as if killing _him_ would be easy. "You will find that I can kill easily as well, Prince Loki, although I don't prefer doing so either."

She caught Kristoff sending a nervous look to Anna, his fists clenched, like he was used to people like Loki and knew what to expect from them. "Where were you last with Thor? I think together we can safely and easily find him," Elsa said neutrally, before Loki could make a retort of his own. It was time for this man to get out of her palace and her kingdom.

Loki sighed. "By those trees... the sparkling ones with long branches. I left Thor and his friends to look at them and got lost. Thor was nowhere nearby when I tried to sense him with my magic."

Kristoff spoke up, expression hostile. "I know where that is. I could take him down there, Elsa. Then you don't have to worry about him anymore; I'm sure they're missing you back in Arendelle."

Elsa wanted to agree. She didn't like the way being around Loki made her feel: inferior, challenged, uncomfortable. But she shook her head decisively instead. "This will only take me a little while, and I've stayed on top of my official duties so they aren't a problem. You can take Anna back to the castle."

Kristoff frowned, obviously frustrated, but nodded. "Okay. Come on, Anna, we should go now."

Loki paid very little attention to the pair as they left, instead focusing on Elsa. The expression in his bright blue eyes unnerved her. "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to find Thor; if he flew at all there won't be tracks, and Mjolnir doesn't leave any magical traces."

Elsa cursed, silently. "Do you think he left for Asgard?" She wouldn't be surprised if the god had; who would want this unpredictable monster around anyway?

"No." After Loki's speech about how everyone on Asgard hated him, Elsa was surprised at the certainty in his voice. "Thor would not leave me here. Besides, Heimdall wouldn't bring Thor and his friends home without me either. Odin would be furious."

She nodded slowly. "You said he can fly… can his friends?"

Loki shrugged. He had little difficulty striding through the snow, despite his seemingly thin legs. "He can carry a few of them, but rarely bothers. He's not one to think of others when an impulse strikes him."

Elsa frowned a little. Loki sounded bitter; Thor had probably left him behind many times before. Elsa had never imagined that anyone could simply forget their siblings. Even when she hadn't been speaking to Anna, she'd always thought about her. "I see. Did he come for a purpose? Or that vacation you talk about so much?"

Loki snorted. "The vacation was his idea. He and the Warriors Three wanted to visit Earth out of curiosity. Sif came along because she loves Thor, but the oaf doesn't notice." He shook his head, and Elsa realized he was more fondly amused than disdainful. "I'm only along for my tricks. I was able to get them past Heimdall – I mean, the gatekeeper – and get permission to be here in the first place."

"And you think he'll take you back?"

"Obviously he will. That's a foolish question – but then, of course, you don't know anything about Asgard or my brother," Loki said, and again Elsa was surprised at how different he seemed when he was talking about his brother. How could he be the same person who had almost threatened her earlier in the day? She couldn't help a smile.

"A few things are bound to become twisted in the legends over hundreds of years. Your style of dress, for example..."

"My… style of dress? Dare I ask what you mean by that?" Loki glanced down at his armor apprehensively.

Elsa bit back a laugh. Best not to explain the picture she'd found. "Er, nothing. Maybe Thor would be close to things that are extremely different from Asgard?"

"Nothing here is terribly... well, that I've seen, nothing is too different. Except all the snow; the Golden Realm never gets snow."

Elsa laughed. "We certainly have a lot of snow. The mountains more than most places though." That information didn't seem helpful though, so she glanced around, sighing. "It seems like a god of thunder would have made some sort of disturbance by now."

Loki chuckled, nodding. "Thor, especially. He's not a quiet person. He's the god of thunder, overeating, bashing things, and generally being loud and obnoxious. I'm sure we'll hear from him sooner or later." He stopped and sent out a wave of green magic, apparently checking the area for signs of Thor or the others.

Elsa watched, amazed, wondering if she could do something like that. Her magic had never worked like that. She looked down at her hands, deciding that she probably wouldn't be able to use her magic for something that delicate.

Loki dropped his hands, shrugging, frustrated. "Nothing but old traces of them. They're long gone, which doesn't really surprise me. Thor tends to forget that I can't do quite everything with magic. Perhaps you could find him?"

As if. Elsa didn't think she could even find a mountain. "I can only control water in different cold forms. It reacts to my emotions. I don't think there's any way I could twist that to find him."

Loki held out his hands like he was suggesting an obvious solution. "You can carry people with wind, surely you could convince the wind to tell you what it sees?"

Elsa almost laughed; who talked to the wind? But Loki's magic was very different from hers. Maybe he (or Thor) spoke to the wind somehow. "Um... I don't normally... converse with wind," she said, as she carefully started trying anyway. The natural sound of the wind became louder, and she closed her eyes. She moved her hands almost unconsciously, trying to get something more from the wind than white noise.

She was distracted from her efforts by an impatient snort from Loki. "Come on, this shouldn't be hard for you. If you can freeze someone with your powers I'm sure you could _find_ someone just as easily."

Elsa, for a moment, couldn't feel anything but stunned anger as she spun to face him. How dare he mention that, how dare he act like it was nothing, how dare he even _know?_ All her pent up tension and fear and embarrassment from the past few days was released in a blast of pure uncontrolled magic towards the no-longer-amused god with a streak of light.

For a moment all Loki knew was raging cold like blizzards and ice and howling wind gripping him deep inside, and he groaned, doubling over. The next moment it had passed, and he straightened carefully, taking a tentative breath, half expecting the pain to take hold again. When it didn't, he glared at Elsa. "What in Helheim, your majesty?" he snapped, brushing off his coat. She didn't answer, instead staring at him, looking...

Utterly terrified. Not nervous, not anxious, not frightened, but horrified. As if he'd been the one to attack her, not she him. He stopped, glancing down at himself, wondering what she could be so afraid of, and he saw it.

The rough, blue skin of his usually pale hands, ridge-like runic patterns making them look strange, not his own. "What…?" With a sudden chill, he felt at his face, shaking. His coat felt too warm, the winter air delicious and familiar as if he had missed it his whole life.

There were ridges on his face, too. Lines on his forehead, eyebrows, cheeks, jaw, neck... He closed his eyes, knowing they would be red and full of hate. Murderous. Monstrous.

"What did you do?" he snarled, baring unnaturally sharp white teeth. She had turned him into his own worst enemy, the enemy of his people, the monster he had feared as a boy. He didn't know whether to run or attack but for the moment all he could do was conjure a small mirror to look at his own face, the hideous red eyes and sharp teeth. He was a frost giant. He flung the mirror away into the snow with a curse.

"I don't know... That's not what I meant to do!" Elsa's voice was desperate too, still frightened. She clutched her hands close to her middle, as if to make sure no more magic would come from them. "That was an accident, I promise! I don't know how this happened, I didn't think I could do anything like that-"

He didn't think before he moved or else he might have been gentler; with a low growl that bared his teeth he grabbed her slender shoulders and spun around, shoving her back against a tree. He knew his skin was burning hers, knew also that this was too harsh but he wasn't quite able to think clearly. "I don't know how you did this, or why, but I don't care. Believe me when I say that if you don't undo this now, I will kill you."

"I can't! I didn't mean to!" she panted, struggling, wincing. Her shoulders were frosting over; anyone else would have been crying out with pain by now. " _It_ did it, the… the cur- magic that _you_ or some other god most likely gave me!"

"Well, then think of a way to undo it! It's still your magic!" He didn't for a moment doubt that she was being honest. He was the god of lies; he knew when he was being lied to.

He almost wished she was lying.

"I didn't ask for it! I told you, it controls water in different cold forms, and it reacts to my emotions if I'm not careful. It doesn't turn people into frost giants!" she retorted, and there at last was a tremor of pain and she bit her lip. "Let go of me!"

He did; somewhere in the haze of his horror and disgust a voice told him this was not something he wanted to be. Still, he couldn't keep the anger out of his voice when he asked, "Then what is this? How did this happen?"

Elsa shook her head, her eyes still wide, with fear. "I don't know! I accidentally froze your heart. That kills people, turns them slowly into ice, not... what you are."

Loki shuddered. If she was telling the truth, if she hadn't meant to do this to him, what did that mean for him? What was he?

He looked back down at his hands and found them shaking.

"The tales said you were a frost giant," Elsa said softly, and Loki almost howled from the injustice of it, from how calmly she said the words. She was tearing his life into shreds without even trying. "I didn't think-"

"You've done enough." He knew his voice was rough, harsh. He didn't care. He wanted to hurt something and he knew that if she didn't stop talking he didn't think he could keep from lashing out. "You will not misunderstand me, I hope, if I tell you that any attempt on your part to speak further would be extremely unwise."

Elsa scowled for a moment, but there was pity in that expression too, and he hated her. Her and her whole world. Then she was calm again. "I'm sorry, I honestly didn't mean to."

"You seemed perfectly able to control the damn magic before," he growled, low and bitter. His coat was stifling now, but he refused to take it off. "I should be able to fix this myself but I still have nowhere to stay." He doubted Elsa would willingly let a monster in her palace without some convincing. "And you certainly owe shelter to me now, even if this was just an accident."

Elsa shook her head, equally angry, although he thought it was at herself. "I don't owe you anything. You're probably the one who cursed me anyway." She took a long breath. "Fine. Stay in my castle, change yourself to your liking." Loki noted how she avoided saying anything along the lines of "fix yourself". She stepped closer to him. "But if you so much as _touch_ a single person, you will regret it. When you're fixed, you find Thor and leave. I don't care if you're a prince or a monster or a _god_ , I want you gone."

He laughed, a choking sound even to his own ears, and grabbed her hand to transport them both back to the palace before letting go and taking himself to his own room. He didn't care what the queen thought of him, didn't care if she tried to throw him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you guys didn't expect the dramatic reveal of his parentage so soon. This story is largely a redemption story, so that's why it happened already. ;) I'm quite proud of this part so please do review!
> 
> You will notice, as the story goes on, that there are some plot points (only small ones) that are total crack. There will be jokes about Dutch Blitz and yes, cooking in an ice palace. It won't make sense but that's on purpose. :P Sometimes we like to be goofy. I make no apology.


End file.
